The Internet of Things (IoT) service and device market is rapidly expanding. The number of IoT connected devices is expected to number in the tens, or even hundreds, of billions within the next several decades. The range and number of Internet or “cloud” based services that utilize IoT connected devices is also expected to expand rapidly.
A key challenge in providing services to IoT connected devices is the need to provide services in remote areas that lack good Internet connectivity and other infrastructure services such as electrical power grids. For example, electrical power availability is often unreliable in geographically remote areas where cloud based services could prove useful. Unreliable electrical power availability is also common in developing countries where cloud based services could also prove useful. This forces reliance on other power sources such as solar, wind and/or battery powered sources to provide power for these remote IoT devices and networks.